Leading Through Change: Rethinking EDI in a Time of Scrutiny

Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) efforts in higher education are being tested by shifting political priorities, intensifying public scrutiny and mounting fiscal constraints. The panel brings together leading scholars and institutional leaders to examine how universities can navigate these pressures while reaffirming their role as spaces of learning, accountability, equitable inclusion, and social responsibility. They will invite both critical engagement and generative dialogue as they explore evidence-based and outcomes-driven EDI. Drawing on current research, lived experience and cross-sector insights, the discussion will highlight strategies for advancing and embedding inclusion in higher education.

Key themes include measuring impact, building sustainable frameworks, addressing resistance thoughtfully, and aligning EDI with academic freedom and the academic mission. Attendees will gain concrete tools, along with data- and research-informed approaches, to lead change in a complex and evolving higher education landscape.

Panelists

Dr. Tanya (Toni) De Mello is a human rights lawyer and vice-president, equity and community inclusion at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Dr. Malinda S. Smith is Associate Vice-President (Research-EDI) and Full Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary.

Dr. Debra Thompson is a leading scholar of the comparative politics of race and a member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars.

Moderator

Dr. Handel Kashope Wright is a professor and director of the Centre for Culture, Identity and Education at the University of British Columbia.

This event is organized by the office of the Vice-Provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Excellence at the University of Ottawa.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact directly the Office of the Vice-Provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Excellence.  

A Zoom link will be sent to registered participants the day before the webinar.